ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ABOUT THE NORTH COAST

Arsenic Contamination in Wells Raises Concerns (4-16-07)

Public concerns about high levels of arsenic in well water have prompted a recent and continuing testing program in the area around Sweet Home, Ore., and may raise a warning flag for other areas of the state that could also face problems with this toxin due to geology or land use practices.

BASINS multi-purpose environmental analysis system

BASINS (Better Assessment Science Integrating Point and Nonpoint Sources) is a multipurpose environmental analysis system that integrates a geographical information system (GIS) national watershed data, and state-of-the-art environmental assessment and modeling tools into one convenient package. This system is designed for use by regional, state and local agencies in performing watershed and water quality-based studies. It is maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Biodiversity Partnership

The Biodiversity Partnership website is a Defenders of Wildlife initiative dedicated to promoting and supporting regional and statewide strategies to conserve biodiversity. The initiative has its roots in the Oregon Biodiversity Project, a collaborative effort begun in the mid-1990s that resulted in one of the nation's first statewide biodiversity assessments.

Changes in West Coast Marine Ecosystems Significant, Scientists Say at AAAS (2-16-07)

The California Current system has experienced significant changes during the past decade, resulting in dramatic variations in the ecosystem characterized by shifts in phytoplankton production, expanding hypoxic zones, and the collapse of marine food webs off the western coast of the United States.

Coastal Landscape Analysis and Modeling Study (CLAMS)

This page provides access to spatial data used or created by the CLAMS research program, which analyzes the aggregate ecological, economic, and social consequences of forest policies in the Coast Range

Conserve Online

ConserveOnline is a meeting place for the conservation community, open to anyone who wants to find or share information relevant to conservation science and practice.

EBM Tools Network

The EBM Tools Network is an alliance of EBM tool developers, practitioners, and training providers to develop and support software tools for ecosystem-based management (EBM) in coastal and marine environments, including coastal watersheds and the Great Lakes region.

EPA Surf Your Watershed

The EPA's Surf Your Watershed service can help you locate, use, and share environmental information about your state and watershed

FishXing – Software and Learning Systems for fish passage through culverts

Pronounced “Fish Crossing”, this software is intended to assist engineers, hydrologists, and fish biologists in the evaluation and design of culverts for fish passage. It is free and available for download.

H2ONCoast

Sea Grant Extension on the North Coast has entered the “blogosphere” with a new, water resources-focused blog titled H2ONCoast. For all of its abundant rainfall, big rivers and pounding surf, the North Coast is host to surprisingly complex problems for people trying to get enough water to drink in the dry periods, keep it clean enough for human and wildlife use, and avoid major damage from floods and storms. H2ONCoast brings those and other related issues to light.

History of Forest Battles Offers View to Future (1-25-07)

Some of the changing social values and demands to ensure “species viability” that ultimately caused the collapse of national forest management plans in the 1980s and 90s have been addressed, scientists say, but other topics still have similar potential for conflict.

Institute for Natural Resources

Created by the Oregon Legislature with the Oregon Sustainability Act of 2001, the Institute works to provide Oregon leaders with ready access to current, science-based information and methods for better understanding our resource management challenges and developing solutions. The Institute coordinated development of the North Coast Basin prototype web portal

McKenzie River Trust

In 1989, the McKenzie River Trust (MRT) was formed in the public interest for the protection and enhancement of the natural qualities of the McKenzie River Basin. Since that time, MRT has expanded its service area to include all the river basins in Lane and Douglas Counties. The Trust emphasizes cooperation with private landowners in a non-regulatory, voluntary approach that effectively protects "special lands.

Memorable Ocean Lectures Released on DVD (3-09-07)

Distinguished lectures on hurricanes and climate change, the devastating 2004 Asian tsunami, tracking whales and Oregon coastal erosion were highlights of the John Byrne Lecture Series years at Oregon State University in recent years.

Network of Oregon Watershed Councils

The Network of Oregon Watershed Councils is dedicated to supporting the work of watershed councils throughout the state by increasing council capacity, improving key relationships and promoting public awareness of watersheds and watershed councils.

Nitrogen Study May Improve Accuracy of Ecological Predictions (1-18-07)

The pattern of nitrogen release from decaying plant material is remarkably similar and predictable across the planet, researchers have concluded in a new study, which should make it easier to understand nutrient dynamics, vegetation growth, estimate carbon release and sequestration, and better predict the impacts of climate change.

Northwest Forest Plan

The Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) is an overall vision for the Pacific Northwest that would produce timber products while protecting and managing impacted species.

Oregon Association of Conservation Districts

OACD supports Oregon's Conservation Districts through member services, program development, training, leadership development, public education, and government relations.

Oregon Biodiversity Information Center

The Oregon Biodiversity Information Center is part of the Institute for Natural Resources, based at Oregon State University. Our mission is to identify the plant, animal, and ecological community resources of Oregon. As part of the Natural Heritage Network and NatureServe, the Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center contributes to a better understanding of global biodiversity and provides tools for managers and the public to better protect our vanishing species and communities.

Oregon Coastal Atlas

The Oregon Coastal Atlas is a multi-group project that provides a depot for traditional and digital information which can be used to inform decision-making related to the Oregon Coastal Zone. The site provides background information about coastal systems, access to interactive mapping, online geospatial analysis tools, and directly download access to various planning and natural resource data sets relating to coastal zone management.

Oregon Department of Administrative Services

The Department of Administrative Services (DAS) is the central administrative agency of state government. DAS works to effectively implement policy and financial decisions made by the Governor and the Oregon Legislature. DAS’s Information Resources Management Division maintains the Oregon Geospatial Data Clearinghouse (link at http://www.gis.state.or.us/data/index.html), which includes statewide geospatial data for the State of Oregon.

Oregon Department of Forestry

The Oregon Department of Forestry was established in 1911. It is under the direction of the state forester who is appointed by the State Board of Forestry. The statutes direct the state forester to act on all matters pertaining to forestry, including collecting and sharing information about the conditions of Oregon's forests, protecting forestlands and conserving forest resources.

Oregon Department of Foresty - Urban and Community Forestry

The Oregon Department of Forestry's Urban and Community Forestry Program provides leadership and technical services necessary to support the stewardship of Oregon's urban and community forests, and to foster public awareness of the contributions urban forest ecosystems make to the quality of life and the environmental and economic well being of Oregon cities.

Oregon Habitat Joint Venture

The Oregon Habitat Joint Venture is a loose coalition of private conservation organizations working with government agencies to protect and restore important habitats for birds and wildlife.

Oregon Marine Reserves

This website will provide links to information about marine reserves and Oregon’s marine environment and will guide you through the marine reserves nomination process.

Oregon Natural Heritage Program

The Oregon Natural Heritage Program (ORNHP) is a cooperative, interagency effort to identify the plant, animal, and plant community resources of Oregon.

Oregon Ocean-Coastal Management Program

The mission of the Ocean-Coastal Management Program is to provide the public with sustainable coastal natural resources. This means our resources will be vital, accessible, plentiful, free of pollution, and where appropriate developable. Sustaining our resources is an essential element to creating livable communities on the coast.

Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds website

In 1997, with the support and participation of a wide spectrum of stakeholders from all sectors and regions of the state, the Oregon Legislature and Governor established the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds. Motivated at first by the conviction that Oregon must devise its own homegrown response to listings of coho and other salmon species under the federal Endangered Species Act, the plan quickly evolved and expanded into an unprecedented statewide program to preserve and profit from Oregon's natural legacy.

Oregon's Marine Reserves moving forward

Oregon is moving forward with the recommendations of the Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) to establish marine reserves at Otter Rock, Redfish Rocks, Cape Perpetua, Cascade Head, and Cape Falcon.